After two days of partying and celebrating my beautiful friends’ Amelia and Jimmy’s wedding, it was definitely difficult to get up and set out on the road. Joseph and I had a long journey back to Dublin ahead of us! It is supposed to be around 4 hours, but we planned to see some last minute sights.
Photo Courtesy of Joseph
When you think of Ireland, you think of Guinness, green, shamrocks, Cliffs of Moher and of course, kissing the Blarney Stone. We have heard that it can be such a tourist trap, but we still wanted to see it! And…we saw the 3 hour line waiting to get in, the thousands of people, and ridiculous amounts of tourist buses crowded around the entrance. Joseph and I drove around the lot for quick second before deciding to get the heck outta there! We were in no mood to wait in that line to make out with a rock kiss the stone. Sorry Blarney Stone!
Photo Courtesy of Joseph
So after this little detour, we decided to stop by the Rock of Cashel. Located in County Tippery, Rock of Cashel, also known as Cashel of the Kings and St. Patrick’s Rock is about 1.5 hours away from the Blarney Stone. There is a lot of history and myths surrounding Rock of Cashel, including one that states St. Patrick banished Satan from a nearby cave. What we really know is that it was the home to the Kings of Munster for hundreds of years before being donated to the Catholic Church.
The buildings date around 1100A.D. and consist of towers, a chapel, and obviously a cathedral that was built around the 1200’s. For 7 Euros you can can enter the grounds, walk around through the chapel and cathedral, and watch a brief video on the history of Cashel. Some of the walls are now missing, due to old age, conquests, and it being deserted for a small bit of time, but they are trying to restore parts of it. They also have a small ‘museum’ that you can see some artifacts, tools and whatnot from medieval times. (No, not the Medieval Times you go to on your birthday in the US)!
Photo Courtesy of Joseph
Photo Courtesy of Joseph
They offer free guided tours, however we came during the middle of one and decided not to stick around for the next one. After a quick stop at the local loos and a shop to get some souvenirs, Joseph and hit the road, back on our way to Dublin. And, sadly, the end of our trip in the beautiful isle of Ireland. 🙁 🙁 🙁
We found our AirBnB, rested for a bit, and decided on a nearby Thai restaurant for dinner. (When in Ireland!) Sadly, I didn’t take a picture, but Joseph and I have no made this our international tradition. On the last night of our trip, we eat Thai – so stay tuned for our next adventure!
Thanks for sticking with my segment #ErinGoBroad! I truly hope you enjoyed it – I did at least.
